Snow like sisters...

Family,

So I really looked in the mirror for the first time since coming here and was shocked! I think when people see angels, those angels have just come from three cambios in Punta Arenas because their skin is really white..".yea and the whiteness thereof doth exceed the whiteness of the driven snow. " Holy Shrapnel, I´m translucent. 

But, as with everything else, we can draw a spiritual parallel.  This pureness of the epidermus didn´t come from one day cloistered away in my one room apartment with the comp (the apartment contains two beds a bathroom and a kitchen..all in one room...figure that one out).  This blancura came from hours and days and weeks of applying spf 75 and weeks of the sun setting at 4pm.  Just as our own spiritual purity or talents or great and marvelous things that we want to accomplish don´t come from one big burst of effort or one week of taking the sacrament...this snow-sister-like state has comes from weeks of effort.  I think Alma 37:6-7 are some of my favorite verses of scripture.

Anywho, great week family.  Shoutouts to BUNDIAL! (I really want that wedding invitation), Katie, mom, dad, and grandma cynthia! Oh yeah, and a shout out to Brooke Bagley (brookie, my comps hands look exactly like yours...it´s really creepy).

 

Creepy slash funny anecdote...we were walking down Ovejero looking for a house when, all of a sudden, Burnmeister says ``my skirt fell off``. There it was...around her ankles.  Luckily, in about .8 seconds she had gotten it back up to the proper position...unluckily, Ovejero is the main street in our sector.  But, luckily again, the only witness was a man who had apparently just drunken a tank alcohol.  He almost fell over laughing. Luckily again, we are in Punta Arenas and we usually wear two or three pairs of tights, thermals and then pants on most days...Also, really luckily again, we are sister missionaries and have absolutely no shame.

Dad, we got into a house and started to teach when I realized that the movie  A Few Good Men (I think thats what its called) was on the TV.  We told the investigators they couldn´t handle the truth and left.

(Joke! We taught a really sweet lesson and she´s progressing.) Thought you´d like that dad!

Well, everything is just dandy down here at the bottom of the world. Great to hear liz and jess are doing well! (someone tell Liz to wait at LEAST till February for me!) Grandma, send Gpa my love and congrats on the fundraiser again! I love those things!

It´s almost 100% likely that I´m leaving Punta Arenas on June 16 which is the lamest thing I´ve ever typed. I can´t even begin to express my LOVE for this sector.  I love so many people here and have had an exceedingly high number of incredible experiences.  I don´t want to think about leaving the sector, so for now I´ll just keep working and helping people develop faith in Christ (the happiest work on earth!)

The picture is me kissing an Indian foot (there is some monument to Magellan here with some big iron Indian), 

I LOVE YOU ALL! Go help the missionaries wherever you are!

This blog entry probably doesn´t make it sound like I´m a missionary at all. But I really am! We´re obedient, working, and exceedingly joyfull (and don´t forget white) When the Punta Arenas missionaries emerged back up into Osorno we all thought they were creepy and white...Creepy whiteness, here I come!

Hermana Bourne

 

Dear ones,

 

Wow, really full, good week.  Davidcito (Melisa´s son) got baptized and that is the best news ever! To watch people take a step towards exaltation is an extremely wonderful, gratifying process and I´m grateful to be part of it.  Two from that family down, two to go! Me and the Burnmeister are having a really wonderful time here in Ovejero...we are absolutely exhausted at the end of every day and we are striving to follow what the Spirit says to us at every turn.  It´s lead us to yet two more incredible families. Other than that...the work continues. Saturday was zone conference and the baptism...exceedingly wonderful day.

 

Shoutouts go to TEEF! and Hal and various members of the family! But the biggest shoutout of all time goes to MOM...the single best mother in the entire world.  I received two large packages full of love and clothes. THANK YOU SO MUCH! We had cutey outfits for the baptism. Thank you thank you thank you! Mom, in the package you sent me a whole load of pictures and in the midst is some picture of some guy skiing and I have no idea who it is...it´s not MIkey, James or Dad or Hal...who is it? Why would you send me a picture of such a luscious bowl to be skied?! (ha!  a mission is better :) )

 

A large holy shrapnel to Tiffany Andrews...way to follow the Spirit...don´t you just LOVE the people from Uruguay? Our next baptism is a couple from Uruguay and they are 100% phenominal.  He was a professional futbol player and she is Hermana Aponte´s TWIN.  We were at the end of a really horrible day and it was raining and dark again and we felt impressed to knock this specific door and Alvaro opened up, let us in, let us teach him, accepted fecha and brought his wife to church the next day! This last week, they quit smoking, fasted, and came to church again. They read the BOM every day and pray and just love it all. I´m just beyond impressed with the disposition of these people to make such huge changes in such a short amount of time...the gospel works miracles.  Thanks for your example of DOING Tiff.  I think sometimes we say a lot of things that we should do without actually DOING them.  keep doing and you will receive more and more impressions! I was actually thinking about you this morning and was SO happy to receive an email from you....thank you. I love you!

 

Well people, Chile is awesome as ever.  It´s so cold outside and the houses are so warm that my pens have started exploding in the inside of my jacket spontaneously.  The temperature change isn´t really good for the ink apparently (or for my clothes!)

 

I had a great experience during personal study that I want to tell you about.  I´ve been praying a lot to know how to improve and help the other hermanas in Punta Arenas and I got such a tender mercy from Heavenly Father this morning. I prayed, studied the BOM for about a half hour (Bourne family challenge!) and cracked open that book that Halsy sent me with talks from GA´s.  I opened to ¨Swallowed up in the Will of the Father¨ by Maxwell and received a whole load of personal revelation.  Consecration (of time, talents, basically our whole lives) is the end all of everything we do.  We are here to submit our wills to God´s will. We do that by ceasing to worry about our own spiritual temperatures and look to see the fevers raging all around us.  Even when we don´t understand why something is happening to us or a loved one...when we REALLY do not understand, we fall back on our faith and knowledge of the heart and mind of God and trust that He understands.  

Oh, man, the best part is when he says that to leave the Telestial Level we need to stop committing sins of commission (actually doing bad things or making mistakes), but to leave the Terrestrial Level and reach the Celestial- we must leave completely the sins of Omission (the misuse or underuse of our time, talents, energy, and lives).  That part just killed me.  How many times have I NOT prayed, studied, helped, lifted, served, shared, been kind or loving? How many times have I not done something because I was sure someone else would?  How many times did I seek for the will of God in the daily things? How many times did I not?

 

I´m more committed to not only seek for the will of God in the daily mission things (we´re already very focused on that), but I want this concept to become part of me. I don´t want to return from here only to leave what I´ve learned and do finally what I want to do and build up myself, my resume, or my ego.  I really want to desire to do God´s will in 5 years and in 50 years. He describes consecration as a process.. given drop by drop throughout our entire lives and that was the part that absolutely terrified me.  When we really leave that which we want or desire, it´s scary and hard because it´s what we wanted! But I´ve found as I´ve given maybe one or two drops out here that our capacity to experience joy is expanded with every drop we give. That there is no happiness apart from God because it doesn´t exist outside of Him.  I think a lot of our dissapointments or discouragements come from looking to something other than God for happiness and I hope I can always remember that. I´m more committed to developing these habits of consecration that will be carried with me throughout my life so I can desire God´s will.

 

I don´t know, people...keep doing what your doing.  Thanks for your examples of faith, testimony, and consecration of your time and talents to God...because in the end, that´s what matter´s, right? Love you all!

Hermana Bourne

HIKING!

Trick or Treating in April...

Family,

A. Katie! You look incredible and happy and wonderful.  It´s funny the physical changes that happen when you make changes inside.  You know that creepy glow that returned missionaries have?  I was looking in the mirror a few months ago and noticed that the color of my eyes have changed and they are creepily clear.  Also, I am now creepily white.  Ps, guess which sister is me in that photo.

B. Haven is the most beautful child on the planet.  Well done Mike and Ash!

C. CALLIE WHITE! I got your wedding announcement this week and just died of happiness! Congrats my love, you have a letter coming!

D. Dad, what the heck? You HAVE to write me a letter next week. Not a talk. A Letter.

E. Lizzie, you would. Have the best time in Europe...SLOW.  Keep your head, follow the Spirit, do the right thing (like always) and wait at least until March to wed! :)

F. Jess, I busted out the Sasquatch this morning for my comp and we died laughing. I love you.

G. Mom, you are the best. I love you and thanks for the updates and the pictures.

H. Hilarious thing happened yesterday.  We went to the Twilight Zone.  It's a really dead, but rich area and we were searching out a less active.  It looks like Holladay down there.  There were crunchy leaves on the ground, red and orange trees, menacing clouds and a light breeze.  I turned to the McCllelster and said, ¨Compi, it´s Halloween today, just look at these trees.¨ At that very moment, we both looked, and a dog that was right in front of us turned to look at us with one milky eye that was at least twice the size of its other eye.  We died laughing and then ten seconds later a creepy man pushing a wheelbarrow crossed us muttering to himself. Then we contacted two devilish people.  It only helped that we were going from door to door ringing doorbells.  Trick or Treating was fun yesterday!  The whole ¨opposite seasons¨ (we´re in fall in April and May) is throwing me for a big loop. I´m expecting Christmas in June.

I. We´re baptizing the cutest 9 year old named Tamara this weekend.  We reactivated her parents and her dad is going to baptize her. It´s amazing what a little obedience to the commandments of God, reading the scriptures, and going to church can do.

J. GRANDMA! I got your incredible package.  The best part was that I finished the LDM in Spanish a few weeks ago and have been really wanting to start it again.  I got your package during zone conference and I´m officially doing the Bourne Family Challenge. Count me in!

K. Hal, te quiero igual.  ¿Porque me escribiste en Espanol? siendo gringo....eres muy blanco, cierto? Ojala que Liz y Clarkie se casen en Marzo para que podamos estar alla juntos. (juntos para siempre = worlds best video).

L. Someone get me Sam Spafford´s address, I´ve been wanting to write him for quite some time now.

M. Everyone reading this, drop me a line! emily.bourne@myldsmail.net

N. Sorry this email was kind of lame everyone, but I love you and know that this gospel will go forth to every corner of the earth (including mine!)

O. Bouchdial, Send me the wedding invite!!!!!! I´m so happy for you two.

P. Chao! Hasta la proxima semana.

Q.  If anyone is contemplating serving a mission, DO IT and thank me later.  Best few months ever. Not a sacrifice at all. I find joy here every single day.

Hna Bourne

FALL HAS ARRIVED IN CHILE!

Family/Friends...You're all family...!

BAPTISM! Melisa is the best person on earth! The baptism was beautiful.  She wore the temple dress of her neighbor and when she came out of the water we just cried together and shared a big, wet, hug and she thanked us for bringing this to her.

Short this week, but we have zone conference.  Well, fall has arrived...I smell wet dry leaves and it gets dark at 5 now.  I wear at least four shirts, a sweater, a jacket and then my parka to stay alive and we are LOVIN iT!  You know how when Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and he described him as being above the whiteness of the snow?  I´m pretty sure Moroni lived in Punta Arenas.  We are translucent here.  I´m gonna go out on a limb and say I´m pastier than Sophie (love you honey).  Happy birthdays to dad and Adam Case and Tanner!  Way to go everyone!

Katie, thank you for your emails...Loved them.  Ummm...advice about getting answers to prayers.   I had a hard time with this at the beginning.  How do we know when its us or God speaking? What if there are 3 great options and we´re confused?  What I have found is to stop worrying about it, DO what is right (aka, pray, study the scrips, serve), and in the course of being a good person, God will lead you for your good.  Obviously, we have to actively SEEK the answers...but in the meantime, be a good person...keep your covenants and you will be led for good.  The Spirit is the most delicate thing in the entire world.  OH! I have a good example.  We are teaching this 9 year old daughter of a less active family who´s returning to church.  We spent hours studying and planning and worrying about how we were going to teach her a specific concept.  We came up with about 7 analogies, stories, examples, or pictures and prayed and went in there not knowing what or how we were going to teach her.  Right after we said the prayer, my companion started with something completely different than ANYTHING we had even planned and I suddenly knew where to take the lesson.  It ended up being one of the best lessons we´ve ever taught and she´s ready and prepared for her baptism.  Yes, we didn´t use ANY of our planning, but it wasn´t wasted.  I believe that our preparation QUALIFIED us to have the Spirit, which then showed us what to do.  Whatever you are planning on doing this next year....think about it, pray about it, talk to mom and dad about it and then just live right (or, be qualified to receive the guidance of the spirit, of light!.  You´ll be great.  God expects us to create our own lives (check out D and C 58) and to do many good things of our own free will.  Use what you learned in Jerusalem as a jumping board to now make these next four months even better.  You´ve obviously experienced a lot of improvement and wouldn´t want to lose any of it.  keep going at this pace!  I´m really proud of everything you´ve learned and how you´ve changed and whatever you choose to do (I secretly hope a mission) will be just wonderful.

Fam, I love you all.  Lizzie, remember you promised to wait till March :)  Mom, I will be fasting on the 22nd for Bette and she´ll be in my prayers.  Just remember everyone that even in times when we don´t understand what´s going on or why, there is a living and loving God who does and sometimes we just have to rely on that. Love you all! Keep up the good work!

Hermana Bourne

Mom, I´m praying for you and love you so much.  Dad, have a blast in LA and happy birthday...I baptised the best convert I´ll ever have here on the 17th and she was confirmed on the 18th. I don´t know where the time is going.  I want to slow it down. I have 7 months already and I have interviews with president tomorrow so we´ll see who my new comps going to be.  LOVE YOU BOTH.  Ps, james, that painting was phenominal.....was a bit of a shock to see a naked man as a missionary, but you are ridiculously talented! Love you all!

PICS FROM THE LAST 6 MONTHS IN CHILE!

CONFERENCE WEEK!

(pictures coming next week...)

And the best mom award goes to........ (drum roll).....MOM! Best package EVER! You are so sweet...thanks for thinking of me!  Thank you SO much.  The thermals came just in time (it is FREEZINGer than ever and it´s started getting dark at 5)

Thank you Mikey and Ashley for the emails and the pictures of Havey baby...she is just beautiful and already starting her career as a baby model.  Haven...so hot right now.

Well people, week three of the cambio is over and it was a DOOZY!  Melisa (our evangelical turned hard core Mormon baptism this weekend...(happy birthday DAD! That one´s for you) got up in testimony meeting and called the whole congregation to repentence and then bore a powerful, but very humble witness of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.  This woman has the whole Bible memorized and yet has humbled herself to listen to two gringa missionaries and acutally ACT of the promises we´ve made to her.  Every time we come over, she thanks us profusely and asks when we can visit her again.  Now we are just working on her husband and two kids (temple bound family!!!!) and we are just dying with excitement all the time for them!  She´s getting baptizled on the 17th and confirmed on the 18th.

I just can´t believe how beautiful it is day after day to be a missionary.  Me and the McClellster are working really hard.  Yesterday, they asked me to play the piano for sacrament meeting and it didn´t turn out very good.  EVERYTHING was against me. The pedal is broken, they made me play songs I´ve never played before, AND the latinos love to make up how songs sound...so when I played it right and they sang it wrong...I was in the wrong.  But, as I sat there and looked over this faithful congregation of people I´ve loved, served, listened to, and taught...I almost exploded with gratitude and joy at the absolute blessing it is to be here.  I just can´t believe the joy that sharing the gospel brings.  I didn´t know about it before my mission and I still think I don´t understand it completely now.

Anywho, everyone... I love you all, I really do.  It´s a blessing to be your daughter, granddaughter, sister, or friend (or niece, or second half-cousin or whatever I am)

Love, Hermana Bourne

HOLY SHRAPNEL, katie gets home from Jerusalem this week! LOVE YOU KATIE!!!!! 


(Email from last week!)

Say it with me people...HOLY SHRAPNEL. Good things are happening here down where the penguins roam and the wind blows you across the street.  All of it. All of it is just beautiful and wonderful and happy. It all started out last Tuesday when we sat down with the mamita to almorzar.  We started off the week with a big plate of sardines and onions--a combination for success if I´ve ever seen one...especially in close contacts.  (Dad, I thought you´d enjoy that..I finished off every last one).  This was followed by multiple visits to Jose Lopez who got a really bad cold from his freezing baptism (dad, at least he didn´t die like your little old lady....)

 ¨Then THAT was followed by Melisa (our golden woman) fracturing her foot in a big car accident but STILL hobbling into conference to sit on the front row and hear a prophet´s voice.  She has a cast but told the Bishop that she will not move her date to be baptized so we´re figuring that one out.  THAT was followed by Elder Ballard´s talk about mothers and daughters.  My comp and I caught each other´s eyes and just KNEW our mothers were dying thinking of their poor little babies all the way down here. 

 Then, P day comes and I am flooded with a ridiculous amount of incredible thoughts and hilarious anecdotes from the fam, rich, halsy, katie, and BLOB.  Thank you all for writing to me. BLOB, I am dying still. most. hilarious, letter. ever. You´ll have a letter coming for that one.

I don´t know people, I love the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  I officially finished reading the BOM in Spanish out loud today and had such a beautiful little experience.  I have found that the Spirit usually doesn´t overwhelm us with big waves of emotion or tears.  As I read the words of Moroni out loud in a now-familiar language, I couldn´t help but feel that the central message of the Book of Mormon is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I closed the book and knelt down and sincerely, in the name of Jesus Christ, asked God if this book really would bring us closer to Him.  Nothing extraordinary burst from my heart, but the familiar feeling of peace came to me and the words "you already know this, every time you open that book you know it" passed through my mind.  I am grateful for the small, consistent, and beautiful feelings and confirmations I receive from the Holy Ghost.  These whisperings tell me that although there is so much I don´t understand or even know,  Jesus is who He said He was.  I think all the praises I could sing or poems I could write or testimonies I could bear could just be summed up in: Jesus is the Christ.  With that knowledge, I know that everything else is going to be alright.  That I can use the shield of faith to cover any other part where I´m getting hit by the adversary...that if I just stay in the strait and narrow, one step at a time I´ll arrive at eternal life.
 

I´m so happy to be in this state where everything is focused on the Savior.  I used to roll my eyes at the weird RMs (and I appologize if I ever did this to any of you), but I think I understand now.  To have the Spirit is a very delicate, but very real thing and we can loose it´s influence with one thought.  I´m thankful for the miracles I see down here, I´m thankful to be an instrument in the hands of God day after day, I´m thankful to see people humble themselves and accept the good news of the gospel...it´s really a marvelous thing a mission.

I had a few impressions from conference. One. That I´ve been blessed with two wonderful parents who love the Lord and their family.  Two. That my familiy is (right below God) the most important thing to me.  Three. That what I´m doing here is of eternal worth.  Four.  That I am scared to have to raise kids haha! Maybe I´ll just stay out here forever and be Hermana Bourne till I die!   I love all of you reading this blog.  The mission sharpens your memory (those of you who know me know my memory is worthless), but every once in a while one of you will run across my mind and I´ll remember something I learned from you or something I admire about you.  Keep doing what you´re doing, help the missionaries, pray with love, read with purpose, think of someone else and DO something for them, go to the temple, have a good laugh, eat a hot dog with avocado and think of me.  Love you all! Hermana Bourne

 

Mom and Dad,

 Every single talk during conference about kids or parents or the rising generation I couldn´t help but think you two did it right. I want to be like that.  Write a parenting book and give it to me please.  hehehe.  I really do love you two and during the conference I pictured you there in the conference and felt really far away for a little bit.  But really, the happiness of the work overwhelms me and I can't wait to get out and do it again today and every day. The time´s flying by too fast and I just want to relish every second, the good, the bad, the annoying, the stinky...  (there´s a LOT of that !).  Can´t write how much I love you, but I hope you feel it.  You two are the best and biggest influences in my life. Love you both.

Em